THE DEVELOPMENT OF NON-LINGUISTIC STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
Abstract
Critical thinking is an essential issue and one of the main goals of higher education, forcing modern domestic and foreign educators to use its strategies in English classes to form students’ general and professional competencies. The “Business English” for non-linguistic graduate students is no exception. A step-by-step presentation on the topic “Recruitment and Selection” is an example of one practical session to utilise new vocabulary in speaking, reading, listening and reviewing grammatical material. Three parts introduce the topic: “Recruitment”, “Applying for a Job” and “Selection Procedures”. This article discusses integrating new information and strategies for developing critical thinking skills at each stage of the lesson. Such strategies as “Forecasting Using Key Words”, “Question-Answer”, “Thin/Thick Questions”, “Keywords”, “Listing”, “Matching”, “Mind Map”, “Clustering”, “Crossword”, “Ordering and Sorting”, “Replacing” are demonstrated in their practical application. It has been stated that among the skills and abilities related to critical thinking are flexibility in adapting to life situations, independence in decision-making, skills to generalise and systematise knowledge, professional thinking, the ability to use information resources, and the capacity to seek and acquire new knowledge, etc. Practically every lesson stage is supported by graphical images and tables, particularly self-assessment tables. The research results will help educators improve the use of critical thinking strategies in English lessons at higher educational institutions. Furthermore, the article may serve as a valuable resource for students aiming to critically reflect on fundamental theories, principles, methods, and concepts in their academic pursuits and professional practices.
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